Cured of Fresh Mixers

ALERT!!! ALERT!!!! This is a friendly warning provided by an oops-forgot my lunch today coupon-sucker friend. This meal is one reason I am thankful that Homeland only doubles the first coupon; otherwise, I may have ended up with a pantry full of these “Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers”. The fact that this meal was only pennies does not help the taste at all! In fact this meal could be used on Fear Factor it is so disgusting.

I love the Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo Healthy Choice Café Steamer, but the “Fresh Mixer” was one of the WORST meals I have ever eaten, including MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and now I know WHY I like to cook, not to mention that it is a WHOPPING 8 points! While 8 points is certainly an acceptable point level for a meal, its costly if that meal is nasty. If you are on WeightWatchers like me this is a great reminder to always check your point value before buying and especially consuming even if it says "Healthy Choice" or any other deceptive tags and photos that Marketing people use.

This ONE is Good.

After the first bite I should have thrown it away, but I could hear my mother’s warnings that a child in China was starving and would love to have that meal. So I dredged through the process bite by bite like I did at home when I was made to eat my veggies and clean my plate.

Not only was my mom’s voice ringing in my head, but my husband’s voice saying, quit brining home processed boxed food. I don’t care how cheap or free they are. I wonder if this is what James meant by falling into various trials?

Well after that “Fresh Mixer” experience I confess I am cured. Healed.

Really, I am. I have given away my processed food coupons and pledge only to use coupons for needed health and beauty items and food items that I will use to cook with, not heat and eat processed foods.

Which means - I have to cook. I love to cook, but cooking takes planning and preparation. And TIME. The one resource I lack the most. So the other option is eating out. Our family’s goal is to eat out only one meal a week. We don’t always get to stick with it, but it is a rare week if we eat out two meals. How about you? How many meals do you eat out a week? And if I may - one more question, what food or restaurant beckons your name every week?

Part Rancher - Part Money Saving Queen

As I traveled home from work yesterday evening there was a guy standing in the middle of I-35 in the median, waiting to finish crossing the interstate. While we have lots of snow and slush, people still drive fast and it was rush hour – I wonder how long he stood there before he actually made it across. Even more so, I wondered why he didn’t walk over the bridge to cross over the interstate. Gee, maybe that would be the smart and safe thing to do and Oklahomans don’t always pick smart and safe. When I see things like that I keep wondering, here it is Saturday and I wonder if he made it, I guess it is the public safety and injury prevention side of my brain that keeps me reflecting on that image.

However the stupidities of people don’t keep me from my sleep. I slept hard last night, waking up energized and boy am I glad because I needed that as I faced a day of shopping, which requires great skill and agility when facing 50,000 other stir crazy sufferin’ from cabin fever Oklahomans, these people are serious about gettin’ their eggs and milk. Darryl drove and I tucked and rolled out the passenger door and into the stores. We make a great team!

We spend the day sloshing from store to store with pants legs tucked into our boots, cashing in coupons and replenishing our supplies. I felt part rancher and part money saving queen with my jeans tucked into my cowboy boots and toting my coupon box. We got a lot of good deals, but the purchase I am most excited about is a love story…Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by the Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond.

I actually didn't mean to wear my pants like this, but once I stepped out in the slosh I was glad I did!

Shopping can work up a mighty appetite so we went to Sandro’s in Norman, this time to try something other than the pizza. I had a chicken dish, Jayden pizza and Darryl a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich and they were deeeelish! I highly recommend the pasta and sandwiches. Pizza. Well my favorite still is Pizza Hut, but the pizza at Sandro’s is good too. You should check it out, the owner is super friendly, great food at a great price but don’t go on a Sunday, they are closed. They are on Main Street in Norman right across the street from the high school. Let me know if you do!

Chicken Sandro! Enough for two meals or two people! We say it is better than Olive Garden.

Darryl's Philly Cheese Steak Sub, that I personally thought was better than those from Philadelphia.
Any way I say cheese whiz doesn't belong on sandwiches.

I love Saturdays and working from home, not just for the comfy clothes and PJs but because I get to spend time together in prayer with my husband. Today was no different. First thing is first before starting our day and that is stepping into the throne room of God. Have you been there? It is full of love, compassion and mercy! Today as my husband prayed he thanked our Heavenly Father for the snow. I know most people are tired and complaining and are dreading the next storm expected to roll in on Wednesday. There are pleas for summer, sand and sun; but you won’t hear my husband complaining. He truly exhibits the life of Christ, not for show or pats on the back, but because he truly has opened himself to be controlled by the Spirit of God. He loves me as Christ loves the church. He is content, rejoicing in all things, and always points me to Christ even through the Snowpocalypse. As you look at the white snow may it turn your thoughts to the glorious news that though our sins be as scarlet because of Jesus they are white as snow!

No Coupons Needed!

Coupon Closet Class - empty seats soon all filled up!

She with the most coupons wins! My friend Jennifer and I attended a coupon class this past week with Carrie of Coupon Closet. I had no idea how popular clipping coupons has become, I was expecting 20 or 30 people, but there was more like 200 there (and even some discount minded guys). Within about a two hour time frame Carrie full of knowledge and experience of saving significant money utilizing coupons spoke at about 100 mph. I left the class blown away! My mind was spinning as I pondered all the information she delivered and thinking of the things I needed to do to start saving.

Setting up a coupon email account….

Getting an All You magazine subscription…

Thinking of who do I know that throws out Sunday papers?

However, my mind did not go to the dumpster diving, no matter how clean the dumpster is, I would fall in and be on the 5 o’clock news! “Public Health Officer trying to save money becomes trapped in a dumpster diving for coupons.”

Jennifer and I glowing with discount delight!

So when I arrived home, I filled my husband’s head with all my new knowledge! You know the motto “share senselessly”. I’m certain he was wondering when I was going to shut up and go to sleep, but he patiently listened to my excitement.

Yes, the coupon bug has bitten me! It’s been nibbling at me for the past couple of weeks as I have been following the Coupon Closet and Money Saving Queen blogs enamored at all the goods they nab for next to nothing!

I believe in starting small and you will understand why in a minute. So I took a few coupons with me to Homeland, picked up the items, paid the cashier and walked out. I felt accomplished. Then the next day I opened my purse and found the coupons! See, I obviously needed this class. In class I learned how to organize my coupons in this shoe box, well it is so big and out there I can see how that would help me not make that mistake again.

Not filled up, I certainly don't win, I don't have the most coupons...yet.

After my small adventure ending in failure, the new question was not what can I do for my country (family), but it was to clip or not to clip…that was my question! I thought maybe I shouldn’t clip because I simply don’t have the time. I know that sounds ridiculous! I don’t have time to save money? Who am I? Certainly not money rich! Plus I use to clip coupons and actually use them! Then Coupon Closet Carrie said she has five children all under the age of five, so if she has time to clip and use coupons so do I. Nothing like economic pressure!

I am going to make a statement that I hope goes popular and hits iTunes…clipping coupons can be likened to Christianity. I know you are probably thinking redemption and certainly could be a piece of it. We were bought at a price but there were no blue light specials, but there was unconditional love. I was thinking more about knowledge and wisdom. We can have all the knowledge in the world, but if we don’t put that knowledge into practice, it never becomes wisdom. Just like I had the knowledge of saving using coupons, but not using them was foolish.

So obviously I have bought into this whole savings thing and happy to report I did have a successful trip, but once again learned another lesson. I developed my shopping list, had my coupons, my transaction one and two folders and my shoe box, which was going to remind me to turn in my coupons. I was so excited to get a package of Pilgrim’s Pride chicken, Green Giant frozen vegetables, 2 bags of Skittles, Sunny D drink and a bag of Borden’s Shredded Cheese all for $1.68! I was so thrilled I came home and told everyone in the house and Jayden my biggest fan said, “I give her three weeks before she has the house filled up! It is now Mom vs. Coupons. She is going to be on the next Extreme Couponing!”

All for $1.68 and more importantly all items we will use.

Couponing at the finest does require a great deal of understanding of the rules to follow, plus a little creativity. Colossians 2:20-21 reads “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations – “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle…do not double” Okay, it doesn’t say “do not double” but that is where my mind went as I was reading this scripture this past weekend; which by the way is referred to in coupon world as DND.

Why did God instruct His children not to subject ourselves to regulations? In verse 22 it tells me because they all perish with use. The things of God don’t perish with use! I don’t have to clip out a coupon for love, grace or mercy. I don’t need to make sure I am purchasing the correct item. I don’t have to worry about expiration dates; because God and His resources do not perish with use. No expiration date. No limit. He is alive. His resources are never-ending. No coupons required! It is nothing I do, it is all He does and has done for me. While I was dead in my trespasses and sins, Christ willingly died for us because of His unlimited and unconditional love for me and you. So thankful that I don’t have to follow a long list of religious rules to draw on His resources, but even so - reflecting on His unlimited and unconditional love makes me want to follow His commandments because I love Him and He alone has changed my “wanter”.